Those pesky germs!
Have you ever heard one of the pediatricians at MPPMG tell you that “Fever is your friend”?? What kind of a friend is that? Are we crazy? Isn’t it our job to stop the fever??
Fever is your body’s natural way of fighting any infection. If you boil water, the germs will die–same with fever. Your body knows how high a fever should get to kill the infection. Sometimes it’s 100 degrees, sometimes it’s 104 degrees (fahrenheit). Of course, a person doesn’t feel good with a high fever, but the fever is doing it’s job. There are even some studies to suggest that letting your body have the fever will help you get better quicker.
Now, some people worry that if the fever gets too high, their child will suffer seizures or brain damage. I have yet to see a child (with a normal brain) have a fever above 106.5 degrees….it is pretty rare and your child’s body knows to not go above that number. Trouble can happen when your temperature is above 106 degrees and you want to get your child evaluated ASAP if the temp is getting that high.
Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen) are great for lowering fever and helping your child feel better. It is ok to let your child have the fever as long as they look good, but it is also ok to give medicines to lower that fever.
Bottom line: Fever is your friend AND your child’s friend–doing its job in a spectacular way!